Asian Americans

Asian Americans have faced many challenges as a social group but there are also many ways we can help them. Some examples of the challenges they have faced include the stereotype that they have to be perfect when it comes to academics, or the way that they are generalized as a single group even though Asian Americans come from diverse backgrounds. One way people can help fight these challenges is by learning more about their culture and past and seeing them as individuals not just one group.

Picture from NYTimes

Many stereotypes tell us that Asian Americans are held on a pedestal when it comes to academics and social class. This is not always the truth, plenty of Asian American groups battle to stay afloat in this unrecognizable society they experience in America. For example, in the article “Beyond the "model minority" image: Asians in the U.S.” Teresa Wiltz writes, “Some groups struggle, drop out of school at higher rates and need a variety of social services such as language classes, mental health services and food stamps. Some have difficulty accessing those services.” These struggles become even more of a setback when challenges with their citizenship arise.

People put all Asian Americans in one big group when in reality their backgrounds and cultures can differ substantially from one to another. One of the biggest swaying points is the over 100 different languages spoken by Asian Americans and the difficulty in finding a way to learn english. “The immigrants represent 30 countries and 100 languages, and their ability to access opportunities in the U.S. varies dramatically, depending on the circumstances that brought them here and where they landed.” Teresa Wiltz explains how some asian immigrants have to work harder than others and don’t even get an opportunity to go to school. Many people fail to see that it isn’t always just easy street for Asian Americans to get into schools and achieve well paying jobs.

One way others can help themselves understand the challenges of being an Asian American is by learning about little known thoughts about the Chinese immigrants in the late 19th century. In the article “Project seeks stories of Chinese railroad workers”, author Julie Makinen states that “Chinese railroad wokers were treated very unfairly. They got paid less than Irish railroad workers. Other workers got money for food and housing. The Chinese had to pay for their own food and homes.” This help could help people understand that they didn’t all just have a free pass to success. Although stereotypes about Asian Americans don’t seem all too negative, it can still have a substantial effect on those groups. For example, some stereotypes such as Asian Americans being smarter can put extra stress for students to live up to “expectations” in the classroom.

As a social group in the United States, Asian Americans face many problems such as unfair stereotypes regarding academics and the generalization of their different cultures. However, communities and individuals can fight this. We can do this by looking closer at their past and seeing them as individuals not just Asian Americans.